Ash-remover for furnaces.



T. BEER.

ASH REMOVER FOR FURNACES.

APPLIOATIOK rum) K0124, 191s.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTD-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D. C.

T. HEBR.

ASH REMOVER FOB FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED K0124, 191a Patented Nov. 3, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 wi/lmeooeo 6% K? W THE NORRIS PETERS ca, PHOTO-LITHG, WASHING roN. D cv THOMAS HEER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ASH-REMOVER FOR FURNACES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Application filed November 24, 1913. Serial No. 802,808.

To all whom it may c ncern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Hnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ash-Removers for Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for re ceiving ashes as they dro from the grates of furnaces used for heating buildings, and automatically removing the ashes.

Heretofore the grates of heating furnaces have often been injured and burnt out by an accumulation of ashes immediately below the grate,a bad condition that is usually attributed to inattention on the part of the person who has charge of the furnace.

The several features of the invention will be described in the specification that follows, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furnace with my improved automatic ash remover; the power in this case comprising a suspended weight. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ash-box and other parts taken on the horizontal line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a side view of the lowermost part of the body of the furnace same as in Fig. 1, and also a vertical section through the ash-box and a longitudinal section through the endless carriage on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse side view of the lowermost part of the body of the furnace, a central vertical section of the ash-box, and a cross-section of the endless carriage. Fig. 5 shows on a larger scale a broken portion of the base or ash-box seen in Fig. 1, the lower end of the vertical rod, and one of the springs that sustain an end of the roller-rod. Fig. 6 is an outer end-view of the winding drum, pawland-ratchet, and operating chain. Fig. 7 is a side View of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the upper bracket that forms a bearing for the vertical rod. Fig. 9 is a side view of the upper bracket shown in Fig. 8 looking from the right toward the left-hand. Fig. 10 is a side view on a smaller scale of the lower part of a furnace embodying the endless ash-carriage, and showing an operating chain the purpose of which is to manually wind the cord. Fig. 11 shows a motor to move the ash carrier.

Referring now to the drawing, the nu meral, 12, designates'the body of the furnace which stands on a base or ash-box, 13, and a grate, 14, is at the bottom of said body, or between the furnace-body and the ashbox. The shaker of the grate consists of a lever, 15, and rod, 16; the furnace doors are designated, 17 ash-pit door, 18, and the smoke-pipe, 19, leads from the top.

In carrying out my invention I provide an endless carriage, 20, mounted on two rollers, 21, in the base of the furnace; this endless carriage is something like a belt or chain with flexibility to pass over the two rollers. This structure of the carriage produces two stretches-an upper and a lower stretch, the latter sags downward between the two rollers, 21; the upper stretch is normally straight but is depressible between the rollers. The upper stretch of the carriage is normally flat and has two parallel edges, 22,

and is broad enough between said edges to 'suit the width of the grate, 14. In the present instance the upper stretch of the carriage has a horizontal position, though it might be at a slight inclination, that is lower at the discharge end.

The endless carriage, 20, may be made of thin, sheet-metal; the rollers, 21, have journals, 23, that turn in the bearings formed in the shell of the ash-box, 13. One journal, 23, has its end projecting to the outside of the ash-box, and on this end is loosely mounted a winding drum, 24. This particular part 23, serves the function of a journal for carriage-roller 21, but its projecting end serves the function of a bearing on which the winding drum 24, turns.

As the body, 12, and the base, 13, of the furnace, in the present instance, are circular, a guide-board, 25, is employed adjacent each of the two straight edges, 22, to direct falling ashes onto'the carriage, 20. Each guide board has a straight edge, 26, that extends along adjacent the straight edge, 22, of the carriage, and has a convex-curved edge, 27, that conforms to the inside curve of the base or ash-box, 13.

In order that the upper stretch of the endless carriage may be depressed at the center, it is arranged that the lower stretch may sag slightly when the upper stretch is straight. The depression of the upper stretch of the endless carriage, 20, will be produced by the load of ashes resting on it, and this depression is utilized to effect a useful purpose that will be explained presently.

The endless carriage along each of its straight edges, is provided with a row of holes, 54, and the drive roller which is at the ash-discharge side is provided with pins or sprockets that engage said holes; accord ingly when power is applied by any means to this drive-roller 21, the movement of the carriage 20, will be positive.

The winding drum, 24, as stated, is loose on one of the roller-journals, 23; at one end the Winding drum has a smooth circular flange, 28, and at the other end has a circular flange with sprockets, 29, around the rim, see Figs. 2, 6 and 7. On the journal at the outer end of the drum is a ratchet-wheel, 30, which is made fast to the journal by a key, 31. The end of the drum carries a pawl, 32, that engages the teeth of the ratchet, 30. An endless chain, 33, connects the sprocket rim, 29, and sprocket wheel, 34, which latter is centrally supported on a pin that projects from a bracket, 35, fixed on the furnace wall. But in addition to this, I provide for operating the carriage by the power of a suspended weight set in motion automatically, which device will now be described.

A cord or plaited wire, 36, has one end secured to the winding drum, 24, by a staple, 37, or other means; this cord has a plural number of knots, 38, which are spaced at equal distances, as many knots as the length of the cord will admit of; the cord extends from the drum upward to a support, 39, such as an overhead floor, ceiling or other structure, where a pulley, 40, may be attached and the cord is passed through said pulley and then extends horizontally to a second pulley, 41, through which the cord passes; this second pulley allows the direction of the cord to be changed from the horizontal and enables it to extend downward and at its lower pendant end is attached a weight, 42. A vertical rod, 43, has a lower end that is square, as at, 44, and all the rod above the square end is round; a bearing, 45, projects from the side of the base and a bracket, 46, is at the ceiling or other ele vated part; the round part of the rod, 43, fits in said bearing and bracket and is free to partly turn, say, to make a quarter turn. At or near its upper end this rod carries an arm, 47, that is rigidly attached and projects horizontally, and the free end of the arm has two prongs, 48, separated by an open slot; the two prongs take over the horizontal stretch of the cord, 36. When the vertical rod, 43, makes a quarter turn of course the arm, 47, swings to the same extent. In the position which these parts have when they are at a state of rest, one of the knots, 38, will be in contact with the two prongs, 48, of the swinging arm, see Figs. 8 and 9. The bracket, 46, has a rigid prong, 49, that extends downward and serves as a stop against which the swinging arm strikes or bears when it is at a state of rest. An

arm, 50, is also rigidly attached to the bracket, 46, and is bent down therefrom or curved at an inclination to be in horizontal alinement with the arm, 47, and a suitable spiral spring, 51, connects the swinging arm with the said rigid arm, 50. When the cord, 36, moves in the direction of the dart, Fig. 8, and a knot, 38, is in engagement with the arm-prongs, 48, the spiral spring, 51, stretches or yields to allow the arm, 47, to swing; but when the arm has swung far enough toward the left to release from the cord and knot, the spiral spring will react and pull the released swinging arm back until it contacts with the downward prong, 49; of course the vertical rod, 43, makes the same degree of turn as the arm, 47. The upper extremity of the vertical rod is screw threaded, and a nut, 52, is on this thread and bears on top of the bracket, 46. This nut and screw serves as means to vertically adjust the rod, 43, so that its lower square end, 44, will be in proper relation to the square end of the horizontal rod, 53, of the roller, 55, that yieldingly sustains the center of the upper stretch of the endless carriage. This yielding roller consists of a tube, 55, through which the round rod, 53, loosely extends, and the tube turns on therod; as already stated the ends of the rod are square, as at, 56. These square ends, 56, project through vertical slots, 57, formed in the base, 13; these slots prevent the rod from turning but allow it freedom to raise and lower. On the exterior of the base a plate spring, 58, is secured by one of its ends leaving the free end of the spring to bear up under the square projecting end, 56, of the roller rod. Each end of the rod is supported by a spring. The sustaining power of these two springs is overcome when enough ashes have accumulated on the top stretch of the carriage, 20; the weight of ashes will depress the center of the top stretch and the roller, 55, immediately below the center, then the square ends, 56, of the roller rod will lower and thereby the end that had been engaged with the square lower end, 44, of the vertical rod becomes disengaged which leaves the vertical rod free to make a partial turn, and thereupon the weight, 42, pulls on the cord, 36, which causes the drum, 24, and journal, 23, to revolve, and this revolution moves the endless carriage, 20, with its load of ashes which latter are dumped into the can, 59. To rewind the cord 36, on the drum 24, it is only necessary to pull upward on the right-hand vertical stretch of endless chain 33.

In the drawing the ash-can, 59, is shown sunk in a pit, 60, below the floor, and a suitable hood or cover, 61, closes the pit opening and also the ash-discharge opening. A pivoted door, 62, is shown to close the discharge opening of the ash-box.

Provision is made for locking the shaking lever, 15, at the time the weight, 42, is at its lowermost position, when it can impart no further movement to the carriage, 20. This lock device consists of a rock-shaft, 63, whose ends are bent at a right-angle; when the Weight, 42, comes down on one bent end of the shaft the efiect is to give a quarterturn to the rock-shaft which places the other bent end in a crosswise position in the path of the shaking lever, 15, and prevents the latter from movement.

Fig. 10 shows art of a furnace and an endless carriage in broken lines, and an end.- less operating chain, 33, to impart to the ash-carriage a discharge movement which in Flg. 1 is imparted by the weight, rope, and drum.

Fig. 11 shows a furnace, an endless ashcarriage in broken lines, and means operated by an electric motor to automatically impart discharge movement to the ash-carriage. In this modification the vertical rod, 64, has a slight up-and-down movement, instead of a part turning movement. The horizontal rod, 53, that yieldingly sustains the center of the upper stretch of the endless carriage has a plate spring, 58, bearing up under its projecting end, but the end of this horizontal rod and the lower end of the vertical rod are connected by a loose joint, 65, whereby when the weight of ashes on the upper stretch depresses the rod, 53, the vertical rod, 64, will be moved down. This down movement causes a switch bar, 66, at the top end to close a circuit, 67, including a battery, 68, and a motor, 69; this starts the motor which latter imparts discharge movement to the ash-carriage; the moment the upper stretch of the endless carriage is relieved of the weight of ashes, the horizontal rod, 53, under the center of said upper stretch will be raised by the plate spring, 58; this in turn will move the vertical rod, 64, upward and cause the switch bar, 66, to break the circuit and stop the motor. This operation will be repeated by the ashes again accumulating on the upper stretch of the endless carriage.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combination of a furnace grate; an endless carriage supported on two rollers and forming an upper and a lower stretch and mounted below the grate; a winding drum in operative connection with one of said two rollers; a cord one end of which is attached toand winds on said drum said cord passing over a pulley and having an end pendant therefrom; a weight suspended from said pendant cord; and means connecting between the said upper stretch of an endless carriage and said cord whereby the weight may set the carriage in motion.

2. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combination of a furnace grate; an endless carriage supported on two rollers and forming an upper and a lower stretch and mounted below the grate; a winding drum in operative connection with one of said two rollers; a spring-supported roller under the center of said upper stretch of the endless carriage; a motive power device to impart movement to the winding drum; and means connecting between said spring-supported roller and the motive power device, whereby the weight of ashes accumulated on said upper stretch of the endless carriage will start said motive power device into action.

3. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combination of a furnace grate; an endless carriage supported on two rollers and forming an upper and a lower stretch and mounted be low the grate; a spring-supported roller under the center of said upper stretch of the endless carriage; a winding drum in operative connection with one of said two rollers; a cord one end of which is attached to and winds on said drum; a weight connected with said cord and which in operation pulls and turns the drum in the unwinding direction, and means to temporarily arrest the pulling action of said weight.

4. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combination of a furnace grate; rollers havingjournals resting in suitable bearings; an endless carriage supported on said rollers and forming an upper and a lower stretch and mounted below said grate; a drum mounted loosely on the journal of one of said rollers and said drum carrying a pawl; a ratchet wheel keyed fast on the roller-journal where the drum is mounted and the ratchet engaged by said pawl; and a cord one end of which is attached to and winds on said drum, whereby when the cord is pulled the drum will be turned and the said endless carriage moved to discharge ashes.

5. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combination of a furnace grate; an endless carriage supported on two rollers and forming an upper and a lower stretch and mounted below the grate; a grate-shaking lever in proximity to the grate; a rock-shaft whose ends are oppositely bent and when in one position is in the path of movement of said shaking lever; a winding drum in operative connection with one of said two rollers; a cord one end of which is attached to and winds on said drum said cord passing over a pulley and having an end pendant therefrom; and a weight suspended from said pendant cord directly over said rock-shaft,

whereby when the weight has reached its lowermost position it will engage the rockshaft and give it a quarter-turn and thereby prevent the shaking lever from further movement.

6. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combination of a furnace grate; an endless carriage forming two stretches on one of which the ashes from the grate drop; a motive power device to impart movement to the endless carriage, and means actuated by the Weight of ashes accumulated on one stretch of said carriage to set the motive power device in motion.

7. In an apparatus for removing ashes that drop from furnace grates, the combina- THOMAS HEER. Witnesses G. FERD. VOGT, CHARLES B. MANN, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

